Ocular chemical burns from accidental exposure to topical dermatological medicinal agent.

We report a case of accidental ocular chemical injury by self-medication with a single application of a topical ayurvedic medication containing salicylic acid, phenol, and tincture iodine, which is being used in developing countries for treatment of various dermatological conditions.

Mechanisms of Retinal Damage after Ocular Alkali Burns.

Alkali burns to the eye constitute a leading cause of worldwide blindness. In recent case series, corneal transplantation revealed unexpected damage to the retina and optic nerve in chemically burned eyes. We investigated the physical, biochemical, and immunological components of retinal injury after alkali burn and explored a novel neuroprotective regimen suitable for prompt administration in emergency departments. Thus, in vivo pH, oxygen, and oxidation reduction measurements were performed in the anterior and posterior segment of mouse and rabbit eyes using implantable microsensors. Tissue inflammation was assessed by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. The experiments confirmed that the retinal damage is not mediated by direct effect of the alkali, which is effectively buffered by the anterior segment. Rather, pH, oxygen, and oxidation reduction changes were restricted to the cornea and the anterior chamber, where they caused profound uveal inflammation and release of proinflammatory cytokines. The latter rapidly diffuse to the posterior segment, triggering retinal damage. Tumor necrosis factor-α was identified as a key proinflammatory mediator of retinal ganglion cell death. Blockade, by either monoclonal antibody or tumor necrosis factor receptor gene knockout, reduced inflammation and retinal ganglion cell loss. Intraocular pressure elevation was not observed in experimental alkali burns. These findings illuminate the mechanism by which alkali burns cause retinal damage and may have importance in designing therapies for retinal protection.

Ignition of eyelash extensions during routine minor eyelid surgery.

Preoperative patient questionnaires enquiring about the presence of prosthetics are routine. Eyelash extensions are not part of standard preoperative questionnaires. This case illustrates how this impacts patient safety during minor eyelid surgery.

Transpupillary thermotherapy in chinese patients with choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration: emphasis on the influence of power setting.

PURPOSE: To perform a safety and efficacy study of transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) in Chinese patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). METHODS: In a prospective study, patients with subfoveal or juxtafoveal CNV secondary to ARMD underwent TTT with fixed treatment and follow-up protocols. From August 2002 to December 2004, 26 patients (27 eyes) completed > or =6 months of follow-up and were included in this report. RESULTS: Fourteen eyes (52%) had improved or stable visual acuity (loss of <3 lines) and 13 eyes (48%) had vision loss of > or =3 lines. The serial mean visual acuity initially decreased during follow-up, then stabilized by 6 months. In the subgroup of occult or minimally classic CNV (20 eyes), 13 eyes (65%) had improved or stable vision. The major complication of TTT included laser-related retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy in 10 eyes (37%). Six eyes had mild RPE atrophy, 4 eyes had severe RPE-choroid atrophy (macular burn). Analysis of possible risk factors for macular burn showed that 3 eyes had to have the power amplified due to nuclear sclerosis, and 1 pseudophakic eye had regular power. CONCLUSIONS: TTT in Chinese ARMD patients with occult or minimally classic CNV, according to our protocol, prevented severe vision loss in the majority of patients, but power amplification due to medium lens opacity induced RPE atrophy or burn in some patients.

Effects of vitamin e, pentoxifylline and aprotinin on light-induced retinal injury.

PURPOSE: A considerable amount of clinical and experimental evidence exists suggesting the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the etiology of light-induced retinal injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of vitamin E, pentoxifylline (PTX) and aprotinin against light-induced retinal injury in guinea pigs. METHODS: Thirty adult male guinea pigs were divided into 5 groups of 6 animals each. The first group was used as control. The guinea pigs were kept in cyclic light for 2 weeks before the experiments. The animals were maintained in 12-hour light-dark cycles, before and after exposure to intense white fluorescent light, for as long as 12 h and then returned to cyclic light. Groups 3-5 received intraperitoneal injections of vitamin E, PTX and aprotinin, respectively. One eye of each animal was selected for histopathological evaluation and the other for biochemical assay. Retinal malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and the thickness of the outer nuclear layers were measured. RESULTS: The compounds had the following relationships: vitamin E more than PTX more than aprotinin in preventing light-induced retinal damage. All 3 gave significant protection against the formation of MDA. Retinas of all 3 treatment groups had been protected from light-induced injury. CONCLUSION: The intraperitoneal vitamin E, PTX and aprotinin supplementations may strengthen the antioxidant defense system because of decreased ROS, and these agents may play a role in treating light-induced retinal injury.

Corneal endothelial cells' protection against thermal injury: influence of ophthalmic viscoelastic substances in experimental study on rabbits.

PURPOSE: To quantify the maximal level of temperature and the time the maximal temperature is achieved and correlate the temperature parameters to the mean rate of endothelial cell loss after standardized ultrasound delivery assisted with four viscoelastic substances or different temperature of balanced salt solution (BSS). METHODS: Thirty rabbits (60 eyes) were divided into six groups in which different viscoelastic substances or different temperature of BSS were used: Group 1, Viscoat; 2, Provisc; 3, soft shell technique; 4, Celoftal; 5, BSS 22 degrees C; and 6, BSS 4 degrees C. The same parameters of ultrasound energy were delivered by standard phaco tip introduced into pupillary plane. Thermocamera was employed for measurements of temperature parameters. Endothelium cell count was measured before surgery and 1 month postoperatively. RESULTS: Maximal level of temperature was measured as follows: Group 5, 27.85 +/- 0.52 degrees C; Group 2, 27.75 +/- 0.54 degrees C; Group 3, 27.74 +/- 0.46 degrees C; Group 4, 27.25 +/- 0.60 degrees C; Group 6, 26.81 +/- 0.34 degrees C; Group 1, 26.52 +/- 0.48 degrees C (p<0.05). The time the maximal temperature is achieved was statistically shorter in Groups 5 and 6: 4 seconds, 5 seconds, respectively, p<0.0001, as compared with Group 2 (30 seconds), Group 3 (40 seconds), Group 1 (45 seconds), and Group 4 (50 seconds). The mean rate of endothelial cell loss was calculated as follows: Group 1, 4.35%+/-2.55%; Group 2, 8.43%+/-5.2%; Group 3, 6.25%+/-4.20%; Group 4, 6.53%+/-4.65%; Group 5, 14.3%+/-3.85%; and Group 6, 8.78%+/-4.45%. CONCLUSIONS: Viscoelastic substances offer different levels of endothelial cell protection against temperature increase during phacoemulsification. The mean rate of endothelial cell loss correlates with the time the maximal temperature is achieved rather than with the value of maximal level of temperature. This implicates that surgical strategy should consider the choice of the most effective viscoelastic substances, particularly in difficult cases, e.g., hard nucleus, shallow anterior chamber, primary endothelial abnormality.

Macular burn after transpupillary thermotherapy for occult choroidal neovascularization.

PURPOSE: To report a case of severe macular burn as a complication of transpupillary thermotherapy treatment for occult choroidal neovascularization. DESIGN: Interventional case report. METHODS: A 65-year-old man developed a severe macular burn following transpupillary thermotherapy treatment. RESULTS: Before treatment, fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography showed a progressive, ill-defined leakage corresponding to the presence of occult choroidal neovascularization. One month after treatment, fundus examination disclosed macular atrophy. The early phases of fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography showed that the macular choroidal filling time had worsened dramatically. At the late phase of indocyanine green angiography, the initial hyperfluorescence of choroidal neovascularization was replaced by a persistent, markedly hypofluorescent area. CONCLUSION: Prolonged choroidal filling may be a risk factor for macular burn and choroidal occlusion after transpupillary thermotherapy. In such cases, we suggest that transpupillary thermotherapy should be considered with caution and, when applied, that its intensity should be reduced.

[Late results of the treatment of eye burns]. / Odlegla ocena wyników leczenia oparzen oczu.

An analysis of patients treated in the Ophthalmic Department in Bydgoszcz for eye burns in the 10 years period from 1980 till 1990. Taken into account were the causes of burns, the treatment installed in the early period and in cases of late complications. All the patients were asked to call in for a control examination in order to compare the condition of the eyes at the date of discharge and in the long-lasting time. Among 118 eyes in 91 the visual acuity amounted 0.5-1.0, in the remaining 25 it was only hand movements--0.4. The main causes of low visual acuity were: corneal leucoma, secondary glaucoma, complicated cataract. The eye was enucleated in 2 patients because a painful ocular atrophy developed in the course of the pathological process. These were the cases of thermal burns combined with a mechanical injury. The obtained results were evaluated as sufficiently favourable and comparable to the data of other authors.